Moments

Paper fruit cocktail decorations in the hair, lazy lunches with my parents, sand dunes and sunsets, hydrangea bombs and cooking club with lady friends. All lovely moments to savour!

Harroween

Halloween in Japan is always lots of fun and this year was no exception. I dressed as a Frida Kahlo inspired Mexican day of the dead skeleton which was lost on a lot of people. I walked past one group of Japanese guys on the street and they said 'ooh...Lady Gaga'. Ahh well. One can try!

Backyard bbq

The other night I went to a BBQ with a family who live on the outskirts of my town. Their vegetable garden was incredible with all types of fresh and delicious treats including giant garlic cloves that we cooked and ate whole. That night, after the temperature dropped, we let off fireworks, ate food and and enjoyed the summer night. It was so lovely. When I went back to the car, I noticed the sky was filled with the most beautiful light, a golden glow that made everything in that moment utterly magical.

Black and white

From the top: 

The coolest kid ever. I befriended him in A.P.C while he was walking around with his crazy little helmet on. When I left the store he was waiting at the front window to further our farewells! 

Toy selection in Tokyu hands - so so good

One of the kids at my local dry cleaners

A rather crazy (but super friendly) band member from Theee bat

Let's party like it's 2005

Going to karaoke can sometimes be like entering the twilight zone. Especially in small towns where the song choices are whittled down to silver clad ladies singing about U.F.O's and the buildings you pass state their excitement for 2005!

Ho-li-day

When I was back in New Zealand it felt like something of a holiday, but different from the ones I had been taking. It was a sleep deeply/don't wake me from my slumber no matter how important it is/ reading novels in my childhood bedroom while eating cameo cremes/ I'm taking a bubble bath and drinking red wine, kind of getaway. In between these times of recharge I saw my friends who I had been missing terribly and we danced furiously to Blondie and Santos Esmerelda, practiced air maracas, went to karaoke and pulled yoga moves while drunk. There were no laminated itineraries or sight seeing and it was nice. Now that I am rested, relaxed and back in the ever wonderful Japan I am dreaming about the next exotic location I want to travel to. 

Images from YouthQuakers. How good are old Vogues?

Live at studio coast

I went to Belle and Sebastian in the weekend which was simply amazing. It was on an island by Tokyo called Odaiba. I was a little nervous about catching the train over as I had never been there but it turned out okay and my friend was waiting for me at the station. 

Belle and Sebastian put on a good show and the sound quality was amazing. The crowd stood beneath the biggest disco ball in Asia. I love a good disco ball.  

The funny thing was the audience. Everyone was so polite. There was no yelling out in the silences between songs, no pushing and shoving to get a spot in the crowd and very polite clapping. I was baffled. In New Zealand it is every man and woman for themselves, there is pushing, shoving, whistling, calling out to the band and crowd banter. I'm not sure which I prefer?

After the concert I walked around Odaiba, the strange wee artificial island that it was. Looking at the Tokyo city sky line from a distance I felt like an ant, rather small and insignificant but appreciative of the greatness of such an amazing city.

Stationery heaven

I had to run out of Loft before I bought everything in sight. Panicky shopping excitement!

Shameless self promotion

The film I did for 48 hour film fest as a part of The Mammal Group. Enjoy! x

crayfish, shrub jumping and disaster cakes

Lately

There has been:

Toy sailing for twenty cents, home made giant rocky roads at small town fairs, tree climbing to dizzying heights, trying to catch the last slivers of sunshine as winter approaches, dining out at saloon style Indian restaurants (most confusing), and wearing ridiculously high heels while drinking cheap wine.